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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23600365">The Arena</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlight_and_seafire/pseuds/starlight_and_seafire'>starlight_and_seafire</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Damerey Daily 2020 [65]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Children, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Ficlet, Fluff, Kindergarten, Modern AU, Political AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:46:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>200</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23600365</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlight_and_seafire/pseuds/starlight_and_seafire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe Dameron regularly debates other politicians on the floor of Congress, makes speeches to packed ballrooms filled with guests, and fields questions from constituents and the news media alike.</p>
<p>But today . . . today, he needs to be <i>really</i> impressive.</p>
<p>And he’s never been more terrified in his life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poe Dameron/Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Damerey Daily 2020 [65]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Damerey Daily 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Arena</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the Damerey Daily 2/26/20 prompt: “You’ve got this. You could debate the entire Senate in your sleep.” “I have!” “I know you have. We share a bed. It’s been hell.”</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never been more terrified in my life,” he says, almost breathless with anxiety. He can feel his heart racing in his chest and he takes a moment to wipe his sweaty palms on his pants.</p>
<p>His wife, on the other hand, looks at him out of the corner of her eye as she quirks her lips, amused.</p>
<p>“Poe Dameron,” she admonishes. “You regularly go head to head with politicians and the news media. I promise you, you got this.”</p>
<p>Still, Rey reaches out and takes his hand in hers, smoothing her thumb over his knuckles. “You can do this. Trust me.”</p>
<p>And he does trust her. He knows she faced the same challenge just months ago.</p>
<p>She did amazing, as always.</p>
<p>But still . . .</p>
<p>He breathes in and breathes out.</p>
<p>Then the door opens, and a smiling face leans out. “Senator Dameron, we’re ready for you.”</p>
<p>With a final breath he walks into the kindergarten classroom and waves at his and Rey’s daughter sitting in the front row.</p>
<p>All eyes are on him. But especially Luna’s, her spine straight with pride, eager to show him off to her classmates.</p>
<p>He can do this.</p>
<p>He <em>can</em>.</p>
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